Bozoma Saint John

Bozoma Saint John
Born	Arthur (1977-01-21) January 21, 1977 Middletown, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Marketing executive, business leader
Years active	2000s–present
Known for	Chief marketing officer at Netflix, chief brand officer at Uber, chief marketing officer at Endeavor

Bozoma "Boz" Saint John (born Arthur; January 21, 1977) is a marketing executive and business leader of American-Ghanaian heritage. She held the position of chief marketing officer (CMO) at Netflix from August 2020 until March 2022. Prior to that, she served as chief brand officer (CBO) at Uber from 2017 to 2018 and was the CMO at Endeavor between 2018 and 2020. Saint John also occupied a senior marketing role at Apple Music until June 2017, having joined through the acquisition of Beats Music. Her tenure at PepsiCo spanned from 2005 to 2014, where she ultimately directed music and entertainment marketing strategies. In May 2021, Leading Ladies Africa recognized her as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Female Leaders within Africa’s corporate and business arenas.

Early life

Saint John was born in Middletown, Connecticut, to Rev. Dr. Appianda Arthur and Aba Arthur (née Enim). Her father, who previously played clarinet in the Ghana Army, relocated to the United States for graduate studies. When she was just six months old, her family moved back to Ghana, subsequently living between Nairobi, Kenya, and Washington, D.C., before finally settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado at age twelve. She often refers to her father as her greatest source of inspiration.

In 1999, she earned degrees in both English and African-American studies from Wesleyan University. Notably, her father completed his PhD in ethnomusicology at Wesleyan in 1977.

Her sister, Alua Arthur, practices law and works as a death doula.

Marketing

Following her graduation, Saint John began her career at advertising firms Arnold Worldwide and Spike DDB before advancing to vice president of marketing at the fashion label Ashley Stewart.

She joined PepsiCo in 2005 as a senior marketing manager and eventually took charge of its music festival marketing programs. After nearly ten years there, Jimmy Iovine recruited her in 2014 to lead global marketing for Beats Music, prompting her move to Los Angeles. When Apple acquired Beats, she transitioned into the role of head of global consumer marketing for iTunes and Apple Music, frequently traveling to Cupertino. Her energetic presentation unveiling the revamped Apple Music platform at the 2016 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference was widely regarded as a pivotal moment showcasing Apple's software transformation.

On June 6, 2017, Saint John was named chief brand officer at Uber. She departed Uber in June 2018 to become chief marketing officer at Endeavor. Reflecting on her time at Uber, she noted the difficulty of implementing change despite positive intentions and emphasized embracing self-empowerment rather than adopting a savior mindset. At Endeavor, she managed crisis communications for Papa John's following a public relations controversy involving the company's founder.

On June 30, 2020, Netflix appointed Saint John as chief marketing officer, marking her as the company’s first Black executive at the C-level. She succeeded Jackie Lee-Joe and officially started in August 2020 before leaving the role in March 2022.

Writing and podcasting

In May 2020, Saint John debuted a limited podcast series on iHeart Media titled "Back to Biz with Katie and Boz," co-hosted with journalist Katie Couric. Initially centered on strategies for business recovery amid the coronavirus pandemic, the show later broadened its scope to discuss topics such as systemic racism and criminal justice reform following the murder of George Floyd.

Saint John authored a memoir called The Urgent Life, which explores her journey through marketing leadership, personal grief, and single parenthood. The book was published by Viking Press on February 21, 2023.

Additional engagements

In January 2021, Saint John conducted "Anatomy of a Badass," an intensive short course designed for MBA students at Harvard Business School.

By May 2024, she became a full-time cast member on the fourteenth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

Advocacy, mentorship, and charitable efforts

Saint John co-founded the #ShareTheMicNow campaign on Instagram alongside Luvvie Ajayi, Glennon Doyle, and Stacey Bendet. On June 10, 2020, this initiative featured 52 Black women taking control of Instagram accounts belonging to 52 influential white women to amplify their activism. Saint John oversaw the accounts of notable Black figures such as Elaine Welteroth and Angelica Ross, while Gia Peppers assumed control of accounts belonging to white women including Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Warren.

Her philanthropic commitments include her role as Global Ambassador for Pencils of Promise in Ghana, as well as board memberships at Girls Who Code and Vital Voices. Additionally, she serves on Wesleyan University's President's Advisory Council and participates in the Black Advisory Board for Impact, a program by the Council of Fashion Designers of America aimed at addressing systemic exclusion within the fashion industry.

In May 2022, Saint John was honored with induction into the American Marketing Association Marketing Hall of Fame.

Personal background

Saint John was married to Peter Saint John from 2003 until his passing in 2013. Together, they have one daughter named Lael Saint-John.

Recognitions and distinctions

• 2015: Named among Billboard Top Women in Music
• 2016: Awarded Female Executive of the Year by Billboard
• 2016: Included in Fortune 40 Under 40 list
• 2017: Selected as a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute
• Featured in Ad Age as one of the 50 Most Creative People, Innovators & Stars Under 40
• Recognized by Adweek among Most Exciting Personalities in Advertising
• Listed in Ebony as one of the 100 Powerful Executives
• Featured in Fast Company among the 100 Most Creative People
• Included in Fortune Disruptors list
• Named one of the Top 100 Most Inspirational Women of the Year by Glitz Africa Magazine